Interview
recorded at Buspace Studio, Ladbroke Grove, London,
27th November 1996. Produced by Robin Ross.
Photography by Liz Johnson-Artur. Designed at Yacht
Associates.

Tracklist:

Questions:

Graham: 01. Is this a big Graham record, you're moreprominent
on this than on any other Blurrecord,
aren't you? 02. Do you think the record
sounds like it doesbecause
of the things you've been listeningto
lately, like hardcore? 03. So you want to sound exciting
straight off? 04. You obviously wanted to make
a record thatlaid
the Brit Pop stuff to rest and theinfluence
of bands like The Kinks? 05. So it's fair to say there's a
lot more of yourideas
on this record than on "The GreatEscape"? 06. Did you want to move Blur
away from wherethey'd
ended up in the market place? 07. Give us a few words to
describe the mood ofthe
record. Any words spring to your mind? 08. Is this what Blur should
sound like? 09. Was it instantly obvious that
somethingdifferent
was going on with this record? 10. It's not a very British
sounding record is it? 11. A lot of the way this record
sounds reflectswhat
you've been listening to, which is mainly
American music. 12. Do you get fed up with being
a pop star? 13. You must have found yourself
in situationsafter
"Parklife" and thought, what are wedoing
here? 14. Will some of these people be
frightened bythis
record? 15. Were you conscious of the
decision thatthere
was no strings, no brass or prettythings
going on the record? 16. Are you looking forward to
taking this ontour,
presumably you in particular will berocking
out? 17. You'll have your work cut
out, there'll bea lot to
do because you're central to most ofthe songs. 18. Do you have any favourite
tracks on therecord,
as of today?

Dave: 19. What does it feel like being
in an art punkband
again?
20. Is it a case of being successful which thengives
you the leeway to do what you want todo?
21. How did it happen, did you all convene afterthe
"The Great Escape" and say we've got tomake
a different record?
22. Were you happy when you realised that thisrecord
was going to sound the way it was,did
you have any reservations?
23. It sounds like the record that couldn't careless
for demographics or marketing. This iswhat
you want to do?
24. Is it your most honest record?
25. What was the atmosphere like at therecording
sessions?
26. The sound and the mood is different fromthe
"The Great Escape"?
27. Tell us about the last track on the album"I'm
Just A Killer For Your Love" which wasdone
very quickly?
28. Does it feel scary that people will put thisrecord
away and say "blimey what's this"?
29. Are you looking forward to touring with thisrecord?
30. I understand the flying is going well and thelast
time I saw you you flew to Dublin.

Alex: 31. How did you go from making a
pretty andpristine
record like "The Great Escape" tomaking
such an angry, nasty, dark and dirtyrecord?
32. But when you realised what it was going tobe
like, were you more than happy withthat?
33. It's not a Brit Pop record then is it?
34. Did you get fed up with being a popstar?
35. Did you find yourself in circumstancesmusically
or personally that made you wantto
take a step in a different direction that"Parklife"
or "The Great Escape"?
36. As befits your roots, it's an arty record isn'tit?
37. This isn't an ironic record at all is it? Itsounds
pretty full on and sincere.
38. Did you want to make a record that wastaking
you in a different direction that "TheGreat
Escape"? When it became obvious thatthis
record was going to be so different wereyou
happy with that?
39. Some of the younger fans you broughtalong
with you from "Parklife" might even bescared
by this record, is that good
40. Do you have a particular favourite track onthe
record?
41. How do you feel about taking the record ontour?

Damon:
42. I can't think of a major group making arecord
that's such a rejection of the lastthing
they did.
43. It sounds like the four of you have made astatement
on this record where you don'tcare
about trends or reactions.
44. Were you worried about doing it at anytime?
45. Was it a case, that becoming pop stars andthen
realising that wasn't what you wanted tobe
all along?
46. How much of this record is actually about thecircumstances
you found yourself in after"Parklife"?
47. Can you characterise the mood of therecord,
what words would describe the recordor
what it feels like?
48. Some of the people who came to enjoy Blurwith
"Parklife" may hold their hands up inhorror.
Are you prepared for that?
49. Your relationship with America is muchdocumented,
and funnily enough this is avery
American sounding record in that, someof
the stuff that's gone on in American rockin
the last ten years, the loud and angrysounds.
That quality seems to be on thisrecord.
50. It's a very nineties record in the sense thatyou
talk about Brit Pop, this is really arecord
of its time isn't it.
51. It sounds like a real pre-millennium recordas
well.
52. It's a big change lyrically from the lastalbum.
53. It also feels like a record that's anoutpouring
of how you were feeling, lesspainstaking.
54. Your voice on a lot of the tracks is treated orprocessed,
almost trying to hide away fromthe
fact that this is Damon singing. Is thereany
thruth in that?
55. What was the process in between the demosand
the finished artifact?
56. There's no strings and no brass.
57. Is this what Blur are about and will continueto
be about or is this Blur at this stage inthe
nineties and you may go off again on adifferent
track?
58. It will polarise people's feelings, some won'tlike
it and others will think it's the bestyou've
done, is that what you want.
59. Tell us what your love affair with Iceland isall
about?
60. The album seems quite fractured and angry.
61. You have said that Dublin was a pivotal timein
Blur's recent evolution.
62. Was there any points that made you think,there's
a lot of stuff I want to reject now?
63. There's a track on the album about America.